Overview & Reviews

"Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?" That's the opening line of "Mercedes-Benz," a song most famously recorded by singer Janis Joplin in the early 1970s. The tune gently poked fun at materialism and our desire for the finer things in life. It's fitting that the renowned German marque figures prominently in the lyric. Mercedes-Benz has long been known for crafting vehicles that emphasize luxury and refinement. For many, its vehicles are sleek symbols of status, success and good taste.

In January of 1886, Karl Benz unveiled the world's first automobile, a three-wheeled vehicle dubbed the Benz Patent Motor Car. A few months later, Gottlieb Daimler and his chief engineer Wilhelm Maybach rolled out a four-wheeled vehicle powered by his Daimler engine. The first Mercedes was crafted in 1901, shortly after Daimler's death. Built by Maybach, the car was commissioned by Emil Jellinek, one of Daimler's primary distributors, and was ultimately named after Jellinek's daughter, Mercedes.

In 1926, the companies founded by Daimler and Benz merged to form Daimler-Benz AG, and the Mercedes-Benz brand was born. The company's insignia was a three-pointed star wreathed in a laurel; the star was dreamed up by Daimler years earlier, and its three points signified the fact that his engines were used in vehicles that traveled land, air and sea.

Right from the start, the Mercedes-Benz name was synonymous with automotive excellence. One of the automaker's earliest vehicles, the 1931 Mercedes-Benz 170, distinguished itself as the world's first production car to offer a technology that was nothing short of extraordinary for the day: four-wheel independent suspension. The '30s and '40s saw Mercedes establishing itself as the brand of choice for car buyers seeking the ultimate in luxury, thanks to coveted cruisers like the 380 and 540K.

The 1950s witnessed the introduction of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL "Gullwing," a sports car that has been described as being the world's first supercar. With its dramatic styling and race-bred technology, the 300 SL reigns today as a classic coveted by collectors worldwide. The decade also saw Daimler-Benz making strides in the area of safety technology. The company's Mercedes-Benz 220 sedans were the first vehicles to incorporate its patented "crumple zone" body design, created to absorb impact in the event of a crash.

In 1963, the company cemented its reputation as the home of automotive luxury with the launch of the Mercedes-Benz 600. The elegant, luxurious sedan was also available as a limousine and featured an ahead-of-its-time air suspension system and a V8 engine that boasted 300 horsepower. The decade also saw the launch of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3. This full-size sedan went from zero to 60 in under seven seconds, distinguishing itself as the quickest luxury car is its day.

The 1970s saw the birth of the brand's storied S-Class line of vehicles, opulent sedans and coupes that coddled passengers with powerful engines and a long list of luxury features. The decade also saw Mercedes continuing on the cutting edge of safety technology, by being the first to offer antilock brakes in its vehicles.

Daimler-Benz's safety advancements continued in the 1980s. Its cars were the first to offer airbags and traction control. The manufacturer also raised the bar in terms of ride comfort and handling when it introduced multilink rear suspension. The technology debuted on the compact Mercedes-Benz 190 E, and it remains a vital component of the company's chassis engineering to this day.

Mercedes-Benz vehicles got an extra dose of power and performance in the 1990s, thanks to the manufacturer's partnership with AMG, a performance and tuning shop that was eventually purchased by the company to help produce ultra-high-performance versions of some of its vehicles. The first AMG model offered in the U.S. was the sporty C36 AMG in 1995; since then, Mercedes has gone on to offer an AMG-tuned version of almost all of its vehicles.

The company's current lineup is the most comprehensive in its history. With a variety of sedans, coupes, SUVs and roadsters filling Mercedes showrooms, it seems like the only thing missing is a pickup truck. Surely, the fact that Janis Joplin's song holds as much relevance today as it did four decades ago is a strong indicator that the brand's premier status is still very much intact.

User Reviews:

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  CLK 500 Critique - 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
  By Mercedes Owner - August 25 - 1:00 pm

  This 2 door pillarless hardtop is a gorgeous example of an ultra modern luxury sports car that provides the open air look and fun of the bygone era of 2 door hardtops. This car turns heads for second looks, especially when all four windows are down. Performance and handling are outstanding, yet refined, so that you know you are driving a Mercedes at all times. I havent found a thing yet to complain about; its great.

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  Special - 1998 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By Veniceknite - August 25 - 6:10 am

  Class is the word for this car. I needed a car for my small business and needed it to be 4 doors, but not too big. Put 15,000 miles on it and only changed oil and replaced tires. Runs like a new car, interior has really held up and steering and power seems like other newer cars I have had. Getting lots of compliments even with its age. It will be my daughters car next if I ever get rid of it. May buy an electric car for around town and the MB for trips to Vegas. Very solid and worth the price if you can find a clean one.

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  first one on the road - 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By capac - August 24 - 10:00 am

  This car is fun to drive as the power is incredible. acceleration and handling excellent. drawbacks are the car rides stiff and rough due to the low profile tires. the tiptronic sometimes downshifts by itself and the integrated phone system is not very good.

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  True sportwagon - 2004 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  By MBZlover - August 23 - 8:53 am

  I just bought a black on beige C320 4MATIC wagon with only 36000 miles on for under 20 grand! What a buy for such a great utility vehicle! However this car has so many aspects wouldnt normally find in an SUV or any form of utility vehicle for that manner. First off it handles just as good as my G35 coupe. Second it has a firm suspension yet delivers the true smooth ride of a Benz. Third it gets an average of 25 mpg on the highway and sometimes reaches up over 30! Fourth is the engine performance. Even with almost 40K miles on it the tranny is buttery smooth and the cars pick up is amazing! defenitely would not keep up with my Infiniti G35 but much faster than my previous Lexus RX300.

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  Best for tall people - 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Tall One - August 23 - 12:33 am

  Finally a vehicle for folks over 63" tall.I am 68" tall and this is the only vehicle that even came close to comfortable all things considered. No sedan was even close. Great mileage and is the fastest vehicle 0-60 that I or any of my friends have ever seen. 20K miles so far. Tires are still good.Only problem was a fuel sensor to replace. We are leasing this one. Plan to buy a 2010 with P2 package. The gas version leaves the diesel version in the dust {respectfully]Power lift gate is great for wife.

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  This is it for me! - 1998 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Hoops McCann - August 22 - 4:50 pm

  Everything about this vehicle is wonderful. Mercedes hit a home run with model. I owned a Saab 900 Turbo for 17 yrs. (276K on the clock) and was sad to see it go. Thought Id never find a car with the same reliability. Even though its 8 years old, I still get the looks of "Wow!"

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  Best Mercedes Ive ever owned. - 2008 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  By Ray in NH - August 22 - 3:56 pm

  I have owned one ML, two C-Class, four E-Class, two SL-Class,and two S- Class. This is the best all-round Mercedes I have owned. (The best best was the 1997 S-600). This car is faster than most sedans, and the engine is really really quiet. No one who drives with me knows it is a diesel. I tell them it is a diesel after I snap their head back while getting on the highway. Most people dont know that while driving in comfort mode, the car leaves a stopped position in second gear because of the high tourque level in this vehicle.

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  After 4000 miles, this SUV is perfect. - 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By marylander3 - August 22 - 12:11 am

  Im getting 33 mpg in mixed driving (more than the EPA estimate, which is common for diesels). The quality is exceptional. My Mercedes dealer is making sure this, my first Benz, will not be my last. No complaints. One quibble: turn the radio off and the backup camera goes off, which is crazy. Ignore that eccentricity, and this is a perfect SUV.

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  2013 Mercedes 250GLK - 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
  By jimtsang48 - August 22 - 12:01 am

  I love driving this little SUV. It has the Premium 1 package but no Navigation. I have been enjoying the diesel experience so far. After 16,000 miles, my MPG average is 31.1, pretty impressive compared to the published 28 MPG. I do not purposely drive slow to get that MPG number. I average 60/40% HWY/CiTY. My advice is to find the cheapest Diesel pump as it usually sells most diesel and keep the fuel fresh.

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  The Best - 2014 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By Paul T Toth - August 21 - 6:29 pm

  We decided to let go of our 2003 S500. I have been researching for the past 3 months. I had previously owned a 2007 RDX that I put 200k on. I found a 2014 ML350 with 15k at Naples Mercedes Benz. It had almost every option, including the 20" wheels. I found the ride, comfort, styling and safety features to be everything I was looking for. The absolute plus was my wife loving the ride and the way it gives her a commanding view. (she is taking the ML 350 and I know have to drive our CLS 550) Oh well... maybe the weekends for me. We haves now traded our CLS550 for an identical ML350.